SARASOTA COUNTY - Training is an invaluable asset not just in the fire and emergency medical service profession but for our community members. Teaching them lifesaving skills like bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) makes our relationship with communities stronger and gives patients a better chance at surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 

Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD) partners with the Sarasota County School Board and the cities of North Port and Venice fire rescue departments to provide local high school students Hands Only CPR training.

Throughout Sarasota County, students in eleventh grade are taught by SCFD or other agency representatives using the CPR in Schools by the American Heart Association program, which delivers current, evidence-based training.

In 2022, all six Sarasota County public high schools were provided instruction, reaching approximately 2,478 students. So far in 2023, SCFD personnel have already provided training at five local high schools.

The training emphasizes early recognition of cardiac arrest, activation of the 911 system, early initiation of hands-only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training.  Students demonstrate the skills they have learned by practicing on specialized manikins, which simulate how it may feel to perform chest compressions.

“We’re not only empowering young adults in our community to help someone in an emergency, but we’re also helping improve the chances a patient has to survive a major medical emergency,” said Sarasota County Fire Department Assistant Chief of EMS Brian Kehoe.

At the end of the training, students reported to SCFD trainers they felt confident in recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest and using what they learned in an emergency. 

“While they learn to help others, it’s also an opportunity for our firefighters to interact with students and teach them about being an EMT or paramedic for the fire department, shedding some light for them how they too can give back to their community,” said Kehoe.

Students are also taught about the PulsePoint application, which can be downloaded on their phone. The app’s push notifications can alert users to a cardiac arrest nearby for potential bystander CPR. The app also allows users to register AEDs located in the community. Call-takers at the 911 Dispatch Center in Sarasota County can also use these registered AED locations as a resource when a caller is reporting a sudden cardiac arrest.

The program in Sarasota County has expanded since its start in 2018 from schools into community businesses and homeowner’s associations, reaching 104 residents in 2022. 

This is just one of the many initiatives supported by Sarasota County in creating a culture of community, maintaining a safe and healthy community, and ultimately making Sarasota County’s mission of being a great place to live.